Darren McFadden has averaged nearly 1,000 yards from scrimmage in five years with the Raiders even though he's never played more than 13 games in a season. / Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

You know that it's a new day with the Oakland Raiders when Shane Lechler leaves.

The Houston Texans signed the free agent punter over the weekend, and it struck me as a symbolic transaction underscoring the philosophical shift with Lechler's former franchise.

Al Davis - the late Raiders owner who treasured his punters and kickers for their field-position advantages and paid them accordingly - might be rolling over in his grave.

But at this point, Lechler, who had a $4.9 million salary cap figure last season, was the type of luxury that the franchise could ill-afford because of so many other cap and draft decisions that have come home to roost.

It's a tough rebuilding job, but somebody's got to try to do it.

"I'm in this thing for the long haul," Raiders coach Dennis Allen declared last week during the NFL owners meetings. "I'm not in it for the microwave, quick-fix, one-year wonder."

Any idea of a one-year splash was squashed last season. The Raiders were 4-12 in 2012, their first year under Allen and new general manager Reggie McKenzie.

Then an even harsher reality set in, when pondering the cap equations. The Raiders cut two former first-round picks before free agency started this month - safety Michael Huff and receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey - to trim more than $21 million from the $123 million salary cap.

Richard Seymour is gone, too. His contract was voided, $19.133 million cap figure and all. And there was no cap room to try to keep the defensive leader with a restructured deal.

And others, such as linebacker Rolando McClain and D-tackle Tommy Kelly, might not survive the purge, either.

Up-and-comers like linebacker Philip Wheeler and defensive tackle Desmond Bryant? No way McKenzie could afford to re-sign that caliber of free agent.

That's just life in the NFL. One hand weighs the talent, the other hand weighs the salary cap ramifications. This is even more pronounced for the Raiders, with McKenzie and Allen having to clean up the mess weighing on a franchise that hasn't had a winning season since 2002.

Does any GM-coach combination in the NFL have a tougher task?

I doubt it.

To accelerate the process, the Raiders should consider something really dramatic.

If the New York Jets can dangle stud cornerback Darrelle Revis as trade bait, why not try to get something for Darren McFadden, arguably the Raiders' best asset?

Running backs don't have the value on the NFL market like they used to, but McFadden is a double threat who, despite injury setbacks, is much better than the average. And with just one year left on McFadden's deal, why not get something back for him now rather than lose him for nothing in 2014?

A change of scenery might benefit McFadden, too. In five NFL seasons, he's averaged just 11 games per year and never played in 16. Yet his skill set should be enough to intrigue a contender that can afford to part with a mid-round pick to upgrade its backfield.

Finding a new home for Carson Palmer could help, too. Maybe he's destined to get another fresh start with a team like the Arizona Cardinals ... with a restructured contract of course since no one's going to pick up the $28 million left on the final two years of his contract.

Besides, Allen said last week that he will give the developing Terrelle Pryor a chance to compete for the starting job, which sounds like Palmer's job can be had.

Yes, there are options. And if the Raiders don't want Geno Smith in the third slot of the draft that they hold, then the obvious move is to squeeze more value from that position. Trading down might not be easy in a draft without a barrage of offensive star power at the top, but everybody wants something. With a rookie wage scale, there's less financial risk at the top of the draft - a point McKenzie has to drive home if he's seeking a trade partner.

It isn't that the Raiders' brass hasn't tried to play with the hand that they've been dealt. Last week, they re-signed tackle Khalif Barnes, one of their recent under-the-radar but cap-friendly moves; McKenzie also restocked at linebacker.

Yet the Raiders started this week with just $2.9 million in cap room, fifth-least in the league. You can only do so much, with such constraints that define the challenge.

Inheriting a bad team and suspect culture is one thing. But taking on the massive cap mess - without several draft picks long ago dealt away by Davis and former coach Hue Jackson - is like buying the house and later discovering the foundation is cracked.

"To be totally frank, I don't know that Reggie or myself knew exactly where it was," Allen said of the inherited cap woes. "We knew there was a lot of work to do in that regard, but I think as you go through and you really start crunching the numbers, you've got to see where you're at, what you've got to do."

To turn it around, it's the proverbial two steps backward in order to advance one step forward. You'd think that new owner Mark Davis will have a bit of patience. After the death of his father in October, 2011, Davis gave Jackson the keys to the franchise as coach and de facto GM. But after a few weeks of momentum, it went south in a flash - and the since-fired Jackson made the deal that left the current regime with Palmer ($15.34 million cap figure). McKenzie came in and hired Allen.

Regardless of the circumstances - Allen says it will turn with one good decision on top of another - nothing buys time like victories. Yet to be seen is whether the younger Davis will be prone to recycle coaches and GMs in a flash.

"I'm not nearly as concerned with the expectations, or what is the final goal at the end," Allen said. "I'm more concerned about the process. I'm more worried about developing a habit for doing things right."

Allen sounds like 100 coaches from any given team when he talks about changing the culture, seeking to stock his locker room with team-first players who work hard and love football. No problem with that, but it takes talent, too. And draft blunders over the years serve as reminders.

Consider: Just two players, McFadden and safety Tyvon Branch, remain from the four draft classes from 2006-2009 - draft classes that should be in their prime about now.

There's a lot of catching up to do, and the Raiders could sure use some picks to see whether McKenzie and his revamped scouting department can deliver the results that have been lacking in the past. At the moment, though, the Raiders have only seven picks for the upcoming draft, including a compensatory choice awarded last week.

The more picks, the better the chances of adding some cap-friendly help.